Representatives from the Kichwa people of Sarayaku, led by spiritual leader Don Sabino and the inspiring Patricia Gualinga, hosted the event with the aim of achieving support for the protection of the central south Amazon.

Raising Awareness and Mobilizing Citizens

Led by Fundación Pachamama, the campaign is aimed at raising awareness among Quito citizens and all Ecuadoreans about what the government’s 11th Oil Round is putting at risk in Ecuador’s south-central Amazon: 7.5 million acres of pristine forest, irreplaceable biodiversity, and seven indigenous nationalities.

By focusing on what could be lost to new oil development, Fundación Pachamama intends to mobilize Ecuadoreans to take action to conserve the rainforest and promote a new model of development that moves beyond the current exploitive, extractivist model to invest in renewable energy.

Consciousness and Creativity

Bio Stage was a day full of music and consciousness, and a great opportunity to engage citizens with the new campaign in an environment that encouraged alternative ways of living, thinking, and acting.

Bands including L.O.B.A, BeatORama, Stich, Dgroove, Mama Soy Demente, Mundos, and Guerrilla Clika gave live performances. Other participating NGOs shared information about various topics, from human rights and animal protection, to renewable energy and organic food. The Fundación Pachamama booth was powered by solar panels.

A traveling exposition of maps and photos, GratiFeria (“bring what you want (or nothing), take what you want (or nothing)”), and live painting were part of the event. Visitors could also see the “visual notes of a long extractivist night” expedition, provided by CDES, with images about the socio-environmental impact of oil exploitation in the Ecuadorian Amazon.

Attendees were invited to bring their own water bottles and make use of water dispensers placed throughout the park, ensuring that the grounds would not be filled with empty plastic bottles at the end of the day.

Campaign Off to a Strong Start

Building on the momentum of this launch event, Fundación Pachamama will continue working intensely to engage the citizens of Quito and all Ecuadoreans with creating a positive future for the rainforest.